title: Understanding the relationships between body esteem, risk for anorexia nervosa, and domain-dependent decision-making impulsivity in a college sample.
abstract: Impulsivity has been suggested to interact with low body esteem to elevate risk for anorexia nervosa. Discounting tasks are unique tools for examining impulsivity. Female college students (N=139) at varying levels of body esteem and risk for anorexia nervosa responded to discounting scenarios depicting opportunities to lose/gain weight and to worsen/improve complexion. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between impulsivity and risk for anorexia nervosa and body esteem in four disorder-relevant decision-making contexts. Results indicated that lower decision-making impulsivity predicted lower body esteem levels when the outcome of the task was framed as an opportunity to lose weight. It is suggested that greater self-control regarding weight-loss in women with low body esteem may be problematic, placing them at higher risk for eating- and weight-related problems. Results reiterate the need for continued attention to fostering healthy body esteem and weight-control patterns in women on college campuses.
authors.affiliation: University of North Dakota, United States. Electronic address: Kaitlin.raines@my.und.edu.
authors.forename: Kaitlin R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Lilienthal
authors.forename: Jeffrey N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Weatherly
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D009658:North Dakota; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anorexia nervosa; Body esteem; College women; Discounting; Impulsivity